1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephone devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing accessibility features for a telephone.
2. Description of the Background Art
Present telephone systems, such as cordless telephones, may be difficult to operate for some segments of the population, such as senior citizens or children. For example, a user may not properly hang up a cordless handset after use (i.e., place the cordless handset on-hook). In some cases, this is due to the size and/or arrangement of buttons on the cordless handset, in particular, the on/off hook button. Conventionally, if a cordless handset will remain in an off-hook condition until manually placed into the on-hook condition or the battery is depleted. In some cases, it may take 6 or more hours for a cordless handset to deplete its battery. While the handset is in the off-hook condition, the telephone line is not accessible and incoming calls cannot be received. As such, the user cannot be reached via the telephone. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a method and apparatus for providing accessibility features for a telephone that render the telephone more user-friendly.